Memphis Man Fighting To Get Money Back From Police

Memphis Man Fighting To Get Money Back From Police

(Memphis) A Memphis man is fighting with police to get his money back.

Carl Snipes pleaded guilty to buying stolen auto parts.

He says in the process police illegally seized $52,000 of his money.

“I had money in a safe that was right here. I had money in a container that was right here,” said Snipes.

Snipes had lots of money stashed in his bedroom. We asked him why with banks being so prevalent, why he had so much money in the house.

He said, “I took my money and brought it home because I was not going to let child support take my money.”

Snipes said he wasn’t behind in child support but because the state had taken his money before he didn’t want to take any chances this time.

Child support didn’t get the money but Memphis police did.

They seized $52,000 in mostly one dollar bills, when they arrested him for buying stolen auto equipment. He pleaded guilty but is fighting to get his money back.

It is money he says he got from tips working as a bellman at a downtown hotel.

Snipes said, “My attorney said to me they saying how can a Black man, making $25,000 a year save up $52,000 and I told them, man you’re wrong for saying that. That’s profiling. You don’t know nothing about me.”

A MPD spokesman told us this was a good fencing arrest and Snipes sold items for profit.

She said the money was the fruit of the crime.

Still, the Shelby County District Attorney’s office is offering to give him $7,000 back.

“If what you got on me is so concrete then why would you offer me anything,” said Snipes.

Prosecutors won’t discuss this case but says they often bargain in seizure cases because it’s an agreement that can’t be appealed.

Snipes believes they’re bargaining because they can’t tie the money to the stolen items he bought.

He said, “If they’re going to wheel and deal with me, they need to apologize to me.”

Snipes will be in court later this month, with a bank teller and his income tax preparer as witnesses to prove the money was not the fruit of a crime.